Tamarind Rice (Imly rice)

Tamarind Rice
(Imly rice)

Tamarind rice (Imly rice) also known as puliyodharai rice, it is an authentic south Indian rice dish. Puliyodharis specially prepared during festivals and auspicious occasions. Tamarind rice is delicious it taste sweet, sour, tangy and spicy.

Puliyodharai rice is traditionally prepared by mixing the steamed boiled rice with spicy and tangy gravy which is made by tamarind pulp or juice and thickened with spices, and tempered with curry leaves, mustard seeds and chana dal and peanuts are added to give the crunchy taste. The combination of all the ingredients not only makes this dish delicious but also a great feast for the eyes and also a treat to serve in parties. Making tamarind rice is not as complicated as it seems to be, and you can adjust the spices according to your taste.

Ingredients: 

1    Cup Rice (raw)
2   Teaspoons tamarind pulp (Imly pulp)
½   Teaspoon turmeric powder
3   Teaspoon jiggery powder
or to your taste (substitute with brown or white sugar)
1    Teaspoon fenugreek seeds (yellow methi seeds)
2    Tablespoons sesame seeds (Til)
1    Teaspoon mustard seeds (Rai)
1    Pinch of asafetida (hing)
1   Teaspoon coriander powder (dhania)
1    Teaspoon cumin powder (jeera powder)
2    Whole red chilies –break them in half
1    Tablespoon chana dal
1    Tablespoon urad dal
½   Teaspoon sambar powder
2    Tablespoons peanuts or cashews
1½ Teaspoon salt or to your taste
10   Curry leaves

Cooking measurement conversion
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Direction:

1. Boil the rice. When the Rice gets cooked, turn off the heat and transfer them in to a wide plate and spread them, so that rice cools down and do not stick to each other. Keep them aside. (See how to boil rice)

Boil Rice

Spread the Rice in a Plate

2. Heat a frying pan, add Fenugreek seeds, Sesame seeds and Asafetida and dry roast them (without oil), for 4 to 5 minutes or until sesame seeds start popping but do not brown them. Remove the frying pan from the stove and let the seeds cool down.

In the frying pan add Sesame seeds, Asafetida and Fenugreek seeds

Roast Sesame seeds and other ingredients

3. Transfer roasted Sesame seeds, Fenugreek seeds and Asafetida in a grinder and
grind them in to a fine powder. Set aside.

Transfer roasted ingredients into grinder

Sesame Powder

4.In the same pan heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, add Mustard seeds and fry
them for 2 to 3 minutes, then add red chilies and fry for few minutes.

In a pan add Mustard seeds & fry

Add Red chilies and fry them

5. Add curry leaves and fry them for few Second.

6. Add Peanuts and Saute them until they become light brown.

Add curry leaves & saute

Add Peanuts & saute

7. Add chana dal, urad dal and sauté for few minutes.

Add Chana dal, urad dal and sauté.

sauté Dals

8. Add sambar powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder and
mix with other ingredients and fry for few seconds.

Add Sambar powder, Coriander powder, Cumin powder and Turmeric powder

Mix Spices and fry

9. Add ground powder of sesame seeds, fenugreek, asafetida and 1 cup of water,
and salt and mix.

Add Sesame powder and mix

Add Water and mix

10. Add jaggary powder and mix.

11. Add tamarind pulp and mixa nd boil them for 15 to 20 minutes or till it reaches
thick gravy form and you start seeing the oil.

Add Jaggary (Gur) and mix

Add Tamarind pulp

Mix all the ingredients well with water

Gravy is cooked

12. Add boiled Rice to cooked tamarind gravy and mix well. Cover the Pan and
leave the Rice to stand and soak in with the gravy.

Add boiled Rice to gravy

Mix Rice with gravy

Tamarind Rice are ready

Tips:

1. Traditionally tamarind juice is used for making puliyodharai rice instead of
    tamarind pulp. If you wish you could use tamarind juice. Take lemon size
    tamarind and soak it in 1 cup of warm water. Once tamarind is soaked mash
    it and squeeze it to take the pulp out. Then strain the pulp in a strainer to take
    the juice out. Make it about 1 cup of juice then instead of adding tamarind
    pulp and water, add tamarind juice.

2. You can also make this gravy ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator and
    mix it with cooked rice whenever you want.

3. Adjust the spices and other ingredients according to your taste.

Please take the time to let me know what you think about my recipe. Your comments would be helpful to me to improve the recipe.

Thank you

Geeta Seth

Other recipes:

Boiled white rice                                          Tamarind chutney (Imli ki chutney)

Rice with caramelized brown onions               Moong dal with rice khichdi

Chicken biryani                                                Black urad dal with rice khichdi

Muttar pulao (Rice with green peas)            Toor dal (Arhar dal)

Sabudana khichdi                                           Sabudana aloo vada
(Tapioca khichdi)                                            (Tapicoa, potato patties)